Anime

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2 – Taking The High Road

Quick Summary of Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2

In Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2, “HOT LINE,” Senkuu’s plan to distract and flush out Homura worked well — too well. Senkuu’s goal was to keep her distracted while Chrome, Gen, and Magma hauled the “cell phone” to a spot near Tsukasa’s lair. When Senkuu’s explosions brought her out of hiding, Kohaku sped off to intercept. Unfortunately, Senkuu got in the way, and when everyone in the village tried to help corral her, she noticed something. She noticed who was missing. Showing that Senkuu wasn’t the only one using his brain, she deduced that the three were carrying something technological to Tsukasa’s lair! Can Chrome, Gen, and Magma keep ahead of her? Does Senkuu have anything else in his bag of tricks? Or did circumstance already doom the mission failure?

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: My Turn to Host!

Welcome to our collaboration review of Dr. Stone Season 2, Episode 2. Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime and I have teamed up to give you play by play and color commentary on the latest episode.

Before we dive in, any opening thoughts, Irina?

I really like Dr. Stone. At the end of every episode I sort of remake that assertion with some degree of surprise. I can’t quite put my finger on why but this series just works for me, but I enjoy it to bits. I want to say that if this has aired like 30 years ago, it would be considered a classic but then again, I’m not sure it could have been made 30 years ago. 

Basically, I’m saying it’s a great show that gets very few complaints from me!

I’m in plain text, Irina’s in bold, and there’s a ten billion percent change of spoilers.

Review of Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2

Introduction

There were four scenes that stood out in this episode. The first involved Kohaku almost catching Homura until Senkuu outsmarted himself. The second involved Kohaku again, and I swear it’s not just because I like Kohaku, it’s because she had a seriously dramatic moment that touched on the main theme for this season. Speaking of main themes, the third scene involved Gen having his say on the main theme, he had a very interesting take. Finally, we to get to see if Senkuu’s “cell phone” works. The answer might just have brought the faintest suggestion of a tear to Senkuu’s eye!

Kohaku versus Homura

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: Homura and Kohaku were evenly matched.

Neither Homura nor Kohaku wanted the other to know how closely matched they were. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Kohaku was eager to prove herself against Homura. After all, Kohaku’s the acknowledged village champion, so for someone like Homura to dance around her like what happened in the previous reason was really embarrassing. As soon as Senkuu’s explosions flushed Homura out, Kohaku went off in hot pursuit. 

Homura tried and couldn’t shake Kohaku. Kohaku tried and couldn’t catch Homura. As the chase wore on, Kohaku started to gain the upper hand, simply because she knew the area and had started herding Homura towards the village. 

Then Senkuu tried to help with a huge flash bulb. It kind of worked. It knocked Homura, and Kohaku out of the sky, which gave Senkuu a chance to pin Homura to the ground. 

But Senkuu’s this little dude, and Homura’s an athlete. She shrugged him off and got back into the trees, where she realized something: Chrome, Gen, and Magma were missing. She even worked out that Gen was leading them to Tsukasa’s place and sped off after them.

Senkuu Miscalculated?

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: Homura just shrugged Senkuu off.

Too bad Senkuu didn’t send in Mecha Senkuu… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

This felt like a tactical error on Senkuu’s part, even if he had a way to track Homura after she left. I thought it would have been better to let Kohaku catch her. What did you think, Irina?

I think the phospore was definitely a plan B and Senku screwed up his original idea and hid it behind bluster. He does that all the time, after all. And personally, it’s something I like about the character. He fails a lot but he acts as if he never does, so the audience doesn’t necessarily pick up on it.

Just like he acts like he thinks of everything but 60% of his plans are just him optimising something another character thought of. 

It is subtle, potentially not even on purpose, but in the end all those little things end up creating a very different mad scientist archetype than what we’re used to seeing.

I like that take!

I should mention that regardless, the moment had one plus: We got to see Mecha Senkuu again! He took a moment to describe how to make the flash bulb. I learned about Print Gocco

Tracking Homura

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: Senkuu uses the Power of Science

Senkuu tracked Homura using the Power of Science! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

In the brief moment where Senkuu had Homura pinned, he covered her hands and feet with a powdered form of the rock that glowed just before sunrise. Off camera, Senkuu had made an ultraviolet light, so the powered ore glowed in the light. He must have covered her with 50 pounds of that dust, because she left an easily visible track.

There’s a disclaimer at the end of episodes that the results may be adjusted but the processes for the creations Senku makes are all accurate. For some reason, that made me happy.

It was an overnight journey as Senkuu and Kohaku tracked Homura who tracked Chrome, Gen, and Magma. As they rested, Kohaku confessed to Senkuu that she wasn’t sure if she could catch Homura without force.

“Am I free to kill her?” Kohaku asked. Senkuu regarded her for a moment and asked if she’d ever killed anyone before. She hadn’t, and she knew she would hesitate. Kohaku knew herself, so she wanted to psyche herself up now. Senkuu explained his approach, namely, that since his two parties could communicate, they’d know where Homura was, but she wouldn’t know that they knew.

Kohaku’s Relief

Kohaku understand strategy.

Kohaku understood Senkuu’s strategy immediately. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

“Our game of tag suddenly turns into a pincer attack!” Kohaku realized. She seemed happy about it, and I had to wonder if she was also happy she wouldn’t have to try to kill Homura. Senkuu said early in the series that he intended to de-petrify every human on Earth. At the end of the previous season, he said he wanted to win this war without shedding any blood. Now, he’s walking the walk, and he’s taking a grateful Kohaku along with him.

Irina, do you think I’m misinterpreting Kohaku’s reaction? 

Yes, Kohaku did seem very relieved indeed!

Gen got into the act in the third important scene. They came across a clearing that had dozens of petrified people in it. Each sported a number, painted in blood, on their foreheads. Basically, it was the order in which Tsukasa intended to de-petrify them. Magma, being the practical man he is, figured that if he broke off their arms, they wouldn’t be dead, necessarily, but they couldn’t be used to fight against the Kingdom of Science. 

Gen thought about it and couldn’t disagree. Chrome stood, aghast, as Magma charged. At the very last instant, Gen intercepted Magma and stopped him from swinging the axe.

Gen Steps Up

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: Gen couldn't allow Magma to destroy the petrified humans

When push came to shove, Gen couldn’t let Magma do it. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Despite his pragmatism, he couldn’t let Magma do it. Maybe he’d been hanging around Senkuu too long, but Gen said, “We’re aiming way higher. To try not to spill any blood. We just need to convert people faster than Tsukasa can grow his army.”

That’s a tall order! But it’s certainly the high road.

What did you think, Irina?

I agree, it’s definitely the high road.

Chrome, Gen, and Magma managed to bury the “cell phone” near Senkuu’s grave. Why? Because it was an obvious place that Taiju Ooki and Yuzuriha Ogawa visited often. It wouldn’t even seem unusual if they talked to the grave, seeing as how it was supposed to hold their good friend. 

Though I think Tsukasa knows Senkuu is alive, doesn’t he?

Taiju’s Bell/Watson Moment

Taiju felt the weight of the moment.

It was just a quick shot… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Anyway, Taiju finds the phone. It rings, and he picks it up. After a 24 episode cour, Taiju finally hears Senkuu’s voice again. And what’s Senkuu say?

“Yo.”

Taiju burst into tears. Yuzuriha, beside him, got all teary eyed, too. Even Senkuu, science dude that he is, couldn’t keep a little extra shiny from his eyes. I was surprised how emotional I felt at that simple telephone exchange. But there was just something about the three of them being able to talk about after so much time and effort.

What’d you think, Irina?

Maybe it’s just the way that Dr. Stone can inject sentimentality without it feeling so forced. It was a short scene. Just a few lines. It’s not like Taiju was bawling for hours or anything, we just saw a close up of his chin with a few tears streaming down and no real sound effect to emphasise it. And then Senku immediately cut the tension.

Senkuu’s More Emotional Than he Lets On

Dr. Stone Season 2 Episode 2: Senkuu felt the weight of the moment, too.

The moment obviously affected Senkuu, too. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

But Senku was just as emotional. And that didn’t seem out of place. The friendship between Senku and Taiju has always been presented as important and rewarding for both of them. Of course it would make sense that they be touched to hear from each other again after all this time, and under these tense circumstances.

I would cry too. In fact I may have teared up just a little bit. And Dr. Stone injects moments like these into its storyline in such an organic way. Both characters were acting normally and consistently with their personalities. And yet, it still created a very sweet moment that they neither overdramatized into oblivion or brushed over. 

With Homura apprehended in the pincer attack (and with Kohaku actually pinning her this time!), and with the communications link open between Senkuu and Taiju and Yuzuriha, it looks like most of the pieces are set. I’m curious to see how they implement Gen’s plan to simulate civilization! 

Irina, any final thoughts on the episode?

More or less the same final thoughts I have on just about every episode of Dr. Stone, can’t wait to see the next one! 

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